Mold downtime is often an outcome of internal or external water leaks and will most likely result in unexpected and costly consequences. Rusted and pitted O-rings can damage molds and components leading to premature equipment failure and expensive repairs or replacements. When this kind of breakdown in production occurs and is attributed to preventable water leaks, it doesn’t take long to eat away at profit margins.
Most mold water seepages appear around static seals where various metals contact hardened steel tooling. This often initiates oxidation by exposing bare metal at its base, bringing about a more serious corrosion. Eventually, the wearing away gets to the point that it can no longer withstand the depth of the pit and water starts escaping, worsening every time the mold opens/closes, thus causing shifting and tooling for each ongoing cycle.
Once such a compromise happens, the focus is commonly directed to stopping any outflow rather than attempting to eliminate the main issue – rust. However, there needs to be a viable ROI in correctly preventing or fixing mold leaks. Assigning an accurate cost to each mold manufacturing issue that can ensue is the only way to justify proper maintenance and repairs. Defect analysis reports show how internal water leaks convert to hundreds of hours of mold stops and can result in labor costs in the thousands.
The good news is that best practices in corrosion prevention measures can vastly help eliminate or mitigate expensive water leaks. Refer to our detailed white paper “The Real Cost of Injection Mold Water Leaks” by Steve Johnson of ToolingDocs LLC. This document details information regarding:
The experts at Slide are always available to assist in diagnosing leak issues, in addition to anything related to maximizing your molding performance at no charge with our Top Tier Service offerings.
Reminder About Next Week’s Trade Show
Just a last-minute reminder that next Wednesday and Thursday (Sept. 20 and 21) Slide is exhibiting at the Injection Molding & Design Expo in Novi, MI. The show is free to attend and is presented by the experts at Plastics News and Injection World magazines. To those planning to attend, we’re looking forward to seeing you and registrations are still available for anyone who will be in the area or are still interested.
An interesting look at a unique company in Chicago who is part of the vinyl comeback with their colorful record albums. Learn how they face the same issues as other mold manufacturers in the purging process and learn about how vinyl recordings are produced. Read more...
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